Smith overcomes heckling, playoff to win in Australia

Cameron Smith hits a shot during the final round of the Australian PGA Championship yesterday on the Gold Coast, Australia.

Photo: AFP

Cameron Smith yesterday won the Australian PGA Championship with a par on the second hole of a playoff with fellow Australian Jordan Zunic.

Both players were off the 18th green for their third shots, but Smith put his within 1.2m and made the putt after Zunic missed from about 3.7m.

“I wasn’t really expecting much out of that chip shot on the playoff hole, I just wanted to get it basically inside Jordan’s and ended up hitting a really good shot,” Smith said. “I had my chance on the 72nd and just misread the putt. Nice to get it done.”

Earlier, Smith had to overcome a heckler in the gallery who was later ejected for fake coughs and sneezes while Smith was hitting his approach to the 18th in regulation.

“He just said a few nasty things ... telling me not to choke,” Smith said. “I tried to just play it off, and then as I was coming into the ball, he coughed and sneezed. I don’t know what he was trying to achieve.”

Smith, who had his first PGA Tour win this year with Jonas Blixt in the Zurich Classic team event, bogeyed the 18th in regulation after birdieing the 17th to take the lead.

Smith, who finished fourth last week in the Australian Open, closed with a three-under 68 and Zunic had 71 to finish at 18-under 270 in the event also sanctioned by the European Tour.

Zunic had eight consecutive pars on the back nine after he bogeyed the 10th.

On Saturday, Zunic needed birdies on his final two holes to shoot 59, but went bogey-double bogey on 17 and 18 to tie the course record with a 64.

Adam Bland was third after a 68, missing the playoff by one stroke. Marc Leishman also shot 68 and tied for fourth.

Defending champion Harold Varner III of the US was sixth after a 66, six shots behind. Sergio Garcia shot a 74 and finished 12 strokes behind.

This story has been viewed 1018 times.

Comments will be moderated. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned.